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Trump, Putin discuss 'coordination' against ISIS

President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday agreed to pursue “real coordination” against the Islamic State in Syria, according to the Kremlin.

The two leaders spoke for the first time since Trump’s inauguration in a phone call around noon Eastern time.

Hours later, the White House echoed the Russian government, saying both men agreed on the need for "mutual cooperation in defeating ISIS."

The conversation comes as Trump is facing pressure from Congress and European allies to maintain a hard line against Moscow, including keeping sanctions in place.

But the new president is seeking to rebuild ties with Russia that have long been frayed over the Kremlin’s 2014 military intervention in Ukraine, its support for Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad and U.S. intelligence agencies’ assertion that Putin ordered the hacking of Democratic political groups to help Trump win the election in November.

The Russian and U.S. statements made no specific mention of whether the two leaders discussed lifting sanctions related to the Ukraine conflict and hacking, but Moscow stressed the importance of restoring “mutually beneficial trade and economic ties.”

They also agreed to “establish a partnership cooperation” on Ukraine and other conflicts in the Middle East, including Syria, Putin's office said.

The White House made no mention of Ukraine but said that he wants to pursue "efforts in working together to achieve more peace throughout the world including Syria."